Academic literature on the topic 'Armenia (republic), description and travel'

The article examines the issues of security and protection of the consumer's rights of tourist services. The relevance of the chosen direction of research is due to the rapid increase in the number of trips of citizens, increasing the number of threats (terrorism, civil wars, political conflicts, revolutions, epidemics, natural disasters), which are becoming more destructive and less predictable. The purpose of the study is to analyze the current position of Armenia in international rankings and indices that assess the state of tourism safety and security. The study used methods of descriptive statistics, observation, comparison, and questionnaires. The information base of the study was data from international ratings and indices (Competitiveness Index in Travel and Tourism, Global Peace Index, Global Terrorism Index), as well as the results of a survey on the level of tourist satisfaction with services in Armenia. It is substantiated that the tourism industry helps to increase foreign exchange earnings, intensifies investment activities, influences the creation of new jobs, as well as promotes a positive image of the state in the international arena. The analysis of the rating positions of Armenia in different international reports allows us to say about its safety and security for travelers. The results of the survey indicate that about 87% of tourists consider Armenia a safe country and are satisfied with the quality of tourist services in this country. It is proposed to improve the national migration and visa policy, to promote Armenia as a safe destination for tourists and to develop international cooperation in the field of tourism. The results of the study can be useful for public administration, the private sector, as well as for researchers in the tourism industry. Keywords: tourism, safety, security, terrorism, crime, Armenia.

The North-South Road Corridor Investment Program is a huge infrastructural program that aims to connect the south of the country with the north through the 556km long Meghri-Yerevan-Bavra road 1in full compliance with the European standards. The construction of this strategically important road will ensure a safe travel from the southern border of Armenia up to the Georgian border and further to the ports of the Black Sea, will allow cargo and passenger transportation in compliance with the European standards, will provide serious development opportunities to all human settlements in Armenia from the south to the north.

In the context of the current, in general, extremely problematic situation with the integration of ethnic minorities that have appeared on the territory of certain countries, both as a result of recent migrations (European countries) and traditionally living on their territory (the states of the post-Soviet space, Asia, and also, with some reservations, USA), the positive experience in this regard looks especially relevant. Armenia, being presented in common discourse as a mono-ethnic state, however, not only has a number of ethnic minorities on its territory, but also is the very example of their successful integration within the framework of a single social structure and a single state. In this regard, the relevance of our research is seen in understanding the self-identification and self-perception of the ethnic minorities of the Republic of Armenia in this capacity, on the one hand, and as citizens of the republic, on the other. We have studied this problem through consideration of the self-description of these communities and their historical memory. This research, being part of a larger project, is directly dedicated to the self-identification of the Assyrian ethnic minority of the Republic of Armenia. As sources, the author used interviews with secular and religious leaders of the Assyrian community in Armenia (see “Applications”), as well as publications in the media and thematic publics of the community on social networks.

On the territory of Republic of Armenia a new species of land snails of the genus has been found. Illustrated description is presented. Relationship between five close related Transcaucasian species of is discussed. New species differs from closely related in having more large dark shell with well developed axial striation and morphology of clausilium.

The contemporary term ‘Silk Road’ refers to multiple centuries of movement, exchange and mutual development that tied together the cities, towns and route networks of Eurasia. During the high and late medieval periods (12th -15th centuries AD), the routes of the ‘Silk Road’ linked cities in China to the Mediterranean, passing through Central Asia and the Caucasus. The phenomenon of the medieval Silk Road is important for historical narratives within the Republic of Armenia: longstanding models of the rise of cities and kingdoms in Armenia argue that settlements such as Dvin and Ani, were linked into networks of trade between East and West. Medieval material culture within Armenia in many ways demonstrates the intersection of multiple cultures: in architecture, ceramics, glass, numismatics and other spheres. Within the medieval Silk Road networks of the south Caucasus, the region of Vayots Dzor is centrally located, and in the medieval period served as a junction point in north-south and east-west routes of travel (Figure 1).

Over the last decade until the Covid-19 pandemic, the international tourism market has seen significant growth every year, involving more and more states and regions in the tourism and travel industry. In a number of countries, tourism has become the main sphere of employment for citizens and the most important sector of the economy. Tourism thus became the source of economic, social and economic innovations and transformations. However, the pace of tourism development in each country is different and depends on a number of factors and conditions. There is no homogeneity in tourism development worldwide. The differences are generated by distinctive features and the ability to capitalise on the opportunities these distinct features offer. At the same time, the level of success of a country or region on the international market for tourism services depends directly on its competitiveness. The article focuses on the analysis of the competitiveness of tourism in the Eastern Partnership countries using the index of competitiveness in tourism and travel published in the World Economic Forum report. The analysis is performed by comparing data from 2017 and 2019 using the Promethee model. Through the research, we performed comparative analysis of the tourism situation in Ukraine, Republic of Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan. The international report lacks data on Belarus. The results showed that most Eastern Partnership countries do not have a high level of competitiveness in tourism and travel. A positive effect is the upward trend of Georgia and Ukraine’s performance in the research area. At the same time, although Ukraine, Armenia and the Republic of Moldova increased in the global competitiveness ranking, this growth was not high enough to reach Georgia’s level.

The tourist arrivals were growing from 2012 to 2019, and 1.8 million people visited Armenia in 2019. That number was not surpassed in subsequent years, and the expenditures by international inbound visitors amounted to about 2.44 billion US dollars in 2022 (accounting for 12.5% of GDP). The article attempts to identify the role of expenditures by international inbound visitors in Armenia in explaining the statistically significant changes in the real gross domestic product (GDP), and the role of tourist arrivals and exchange rate in explaining statistically significant changes in tourism receipts in the short run utilizing the least squares estimation techniques and using quarterly data (2012q1-2023q2); and how vulnerable the Armenian economy is to external shocks to propose respective recommendations on priorities to address the challenges faced under various scenarios we built. We find evidence of the «multiplier effect» with respect to tourism receipts and conclude that the Armenian economy is vulnerable to changes in tourist arrivals (especially visitors from Russia). The slight reduction in tourist arrivals from Russia or if their number remains unchanged could be accompanied by a decrease in expenditures by Russian visitors in Armenia in the period 2024-2026. We conclude that the overvalued Armenian dram against the US dollar in the short run and medium term would negatively affect the price competitiveness of Armenia as an attractive travel destination for foreign visitors unless Armenia succeeds in offering specific tourism products by taking into account the price-perceived quality ratio to attract foreigners. We emphasize the importance of the availability of 2-star hotels or affordable accommodation in the medium term to prevent a drop in tourist arrivals if the Armenian dram remains overvalued.

Abstract A description is provided for Puccinia betonicae found parasitic on Stachys officinalis . Some information on its taxonomy, morphology, associated organisms, habitats, dispersal and transmission and conservation status are given, along with details of its geographical distribution (Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia (Lipetsk Oblast, Novgorod Oblast, Republic of Karelia, Republic of Mordovia, Saratov Oblast), Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, UK, USA (Colorado)) and hosts ( Betonica alopecuros subsp. alopecuros, B. macrantha,, B. officinalis, B. officinalis var. alpestris, Betonica sp., Leonurus turkestanicus, Stachys annua, S. betoniciflora, S. citrina, S. cretica, S. iberica, S. recta and Stachys sp.).

Abstract A description is provided for Puccinia vincae found on Vinca major . Some information on its taxonomy, associated organisms, habitats, dispersal and transmission and conservation status are given, along with details of its geographical distribution (Algeria, Morocco, Armenia, Republic of Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Portugal (Azores, Madeira), Spain (Canary Islands), Australia (South Australia), Cuba, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Channel Islands, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Irish Republic, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Russia (Republic of Dagestan), Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, UK, Canada (Ontario, Quebec), Mexico, USA (California, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Washington) and Brazil) and hosts ( Vinca spp.).

Access to essential health services is a basic human right, yet many cancer patients living in conflict-affected regions face multiple obstacles to service use. The (former) Nagorno-Karabakh Republic was a conflict-affected region in the South Caucasus populated predominantly by ethnic Armenians. Multiple acute armed conflicts, the recent military occupation of the region, and the prolonged military blockade of the Lachin Corridor (a humanitarian corridor connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia) exacerbated existing social, health, economic, and political fragilities in this region. As a result, cancer services were disrupted, with limited clarity on how the ongoing military blockade of a humanitarian corridor affected cancer patients’ experiences of accessing cancer care locally and in bordering Armenia. Our study aimed to describe the experiences of patients from Nagorno-Karabakh in accessing the cancer care services they needed. We conducted remote semi-structured interviews with adult (aged ≥18 years) cancer patients receiving cancer care from three university hospitals in Armenia and face-to-face interviews with cancer care professionals from these hospitals. Interviews were conducted during the blockade of the Lachin Corridor between March and May 2023. Data were analysed thematically using a deductive approach. Twelve adult cancer patients (9 women) and 12 cancer care professionals participated. A key barrier to accessing cancer services was attributed to the Azerbaijani military occupation of the region and the blockade of a major roadway connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. Patients talked in length about the challenges of finding transport and travelling long distances to reach essential cancer services in Armenia. Policies of free anti-cancer medication provision and decentralised medication supply were paused because of the military occupation, affecting patients’ timely access to anti-cancer medication. Out-of-pocket expenses for treatment, anti-cancer medication, travel, and temporary accommodation in Armenia placed a significant financial burden on cancer patients, exacerbated by the humanitarian crisis. Conflict-affected regions blockaded by military forces lack the capacity and targeted support to sustain their essential health services and provide care to those in need of life-saving treatments. Coordinated action from national and international organisations and governments is urgently needed to enhance humanitarian assistance and healthcare support to patients, their families and wider communities affected by military blockades and armed conflicts.

Outer Edges of the Middle Kingdom is a narrative by the author about his two years as a teacher in the People's Republic of China. Organized chronologically, the account begins in August, 1985, and ends in June, 1987. The narrator describes meeting students at Tianjin University, Tianjin, China, designing English classes for English majors, daily episodes in the classroom, and interaction with Chinese colleagues. The narrative alternates between life on a university campus and extensive trips the narrator made to various cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Kunming, Guilin, Harbin, Hohot, and Guangzhou. Also recounted are the narrator's reactions to the student demonstrations of December, 1986, and the resulting anti-bourgeois liberation campaign of January-April, 1987.

Text in Afrikaans with abstracts in Afrikaans, English and isiZulu
Hierdie studie van Afrikaanse tekste oor die Kongo (DRK) strek vanaf 1912 - toe DF Malan die eerste wit Afrikaner geword het wat ‘n reisbeskrywing oor sy besoek aan die Kongo gepubliseer het (Naar Congoland, 1913) - tot 2012 . Die navorsingsverslag ondersoek beeldvorming rondom die Kongo/(Midde-)Afrika in die korpus tekste wat opgespoor is, binne die breë teoretiese raamwerk van koloniale/postkoloniale studies, met toespitsing op “Africanism” en “Whiteness studies”. Daar is bevind dat beeldvorming in verband met die Kongo rondom twee hooftrope geskied: die Kongo as Conradiaanse “heart of darkness”, waar barbaarsheid in al sy geledinge hoogty vier; en die Kongo as “Eldorado” – die land wat as 15de-eeuse Afrika-koninkryk beskik het oor ‘n ontwikkelde beskawing en ongekende rykdom - lank voordat dit “ontdek” is deur Portugese seevaarders. Hierdie hooftrope en hul uitlopers funksioneer as ‘n kontinuum eerder as volstrekte teenoorgesteldes in die meeste Afrikaanse tekste oor die Kongo. Tekste van die koloniale era (tot die 1960’s in die Kongo) sluit aan by Eurosentriese diskoerse waarin die imperiale/koloniale tydgees weerspieël word, en tipies manifesteer in binêre opposisies (byvoorbeeld primitiwiteit versus beskawing) en trope soos “imperial eyes” (wit toeëiening van die koloniale ruimte). Malan se ideaal van ‘n Dietse invloedsfeer gebaseer op die taalverwantskap tussen Hollands/Afrikaans in Suid-Afrika, en Vlaams in die destydse Belgiese Kongo, herinner aan die ekspansionistiese ywer waarmee die Kaap-tot-Kaïro-droom van Britse imperialiste nagejaag is, maar blyk nouer verwant te wees aan die Afrikanernasionalistiese klem op die “taal as volk”. In postkoloniale tekste word die siening van die wit Afrikaner as ‘n nasaat van die geïdealiseerde Voortrekkers/Dorslandtrekkers toenemend gerelativeer deur tekste waarin die wit Afrikaner herverbeel word as “wit sangoma” of “Witboy in Afrika”; en wit vrese en vergrype word op skerp satiriese wyse aan die kaak gestel as die wrange erflating van die aartskolonialis, “Pappa in Afrika”. Die koloniale projek word in Equatoria as mislukking uitgebeeld, terwyl Horrelpoot ʼn distopiese verbastering van Afrikanerskap en Afrikaans in (Suid-)Afrika poneer. Witheid mag uiteindelik in Afrika uitgewis en vervang word met egte skakerings van aardsheid, of herdefinieer word in ʼn niehegemoniese verband (The Poisonwood Bible). Slegs die tyd sal leer.
This study of Afrikaans literary texts on the Congo (DRC) covers 100 years: 1912 – 2012. In 1912 DF Malan became the first white Afrikaner to travel to the Congo and publish a travelogue based on his travels (Naar Congoland, 1913). This thesis investigates the representation of the Congo/Central) Africa in the corpus of texts discovered, within the broad theoretical framework of colonial/postcolonial studies, and the paradigms of “Africanism” and “Whiteness Studies”. The Congo has been represented in terms of two main tropes: the Congo as the Conradian “heart of darkness”, the seat of utter savagery; and the Congo as “Eldorado” – the African kingdom that presided over a well-developed civilisation and untold wealth long before it was “discovered” by Portuguese explorers in the fifteenth century. These main tropes and their sub-tropes function in most Afrikaans texts on the Congo as a continuum and not in absolute contrast. Literary texts of the colonial era (up to the 1960’s) are characterised by Eurocentric discourses in which the imperial/colonial Zeitgeist typically manifests in binary oppositions (primitivism versus civilisation), and tropes like “imperial eyes” (white appropriation of colonial space). Malan’s dream of a Dutch sphere of influence - based on the affinity of Dutch/Flemish in the Congo with Dutch/Afrikaans in South Africa – and extending from Cape Town to the erstwhile Belgian Congo, is reminiscent of the expansionist fervour characterising the imperialist Cape-to-Cairo idea, but is based on the close link between language and nationhood in Afrikaner nationalism. In postcolonial texts the view of the white Afrikaner as ‘n descendant of the idealised Voortrekkers/Angolan trekkers is increasingly deconstructed by re-imagining the Afrikaner as a “white sangoma” or “whiteboy in Africa”, while white fright and guilt are revealed - in a sharply satirical fashion – as the bitter legacy of the white arch-colonialist “Pappa in Afrika”. The colonial project is portrayed as a disaster in Equatoria, while Horrelpoot poses a dystopic vision of the degeneration of Afrikanerdom and Afrikaans in (South) Africa. Whiteness may eventually be erased and replaced by authentic, earthy African colours, or be redefined within a non-hegemonic context (The Poisonwood Bible). Time alone will tell.
Lolu cwaningo olumayelana nemibhalo yesiBhunu ezincwadini zaseCongo (eDRC) lubheka isikhathi esingangeminyaka eyi-100: 1912 – 2012. Ngo-1912, uDF Malan waba yiBhunu lokuqala elimhlophe elaya eCongo laqopha umbiko omayelana nohambo lwakhe (Naar Congoland, 1913). Lo mbiko wocwaningo ucubungula indlela okwethulwa ngayo iCongo kanye nezinye izindawo eziMaphakathi Ne-Afrika eqoqweni lwemibhalo etholakale ohlakeni lwemibhalo eyimihlahlandlela emayelana nezifundo zangezikhathi zombuso wamakoloni/ nezikhathi zangemva kombuso wamakoloni, kanye nokuhleleka kwezifundo ngaBomdabu nangaBamhlophe. Izwe laseCongo lethulwa ngokufanekiswa ngezindlela ezimbili: ICongo njengesizinda sobumnyama (“heart of darkness”), nanjengesihlalo sobulwane bokungaphucuzeki (seat of utter savagery) njengoba kufanekisa umbhali uJoseph Conrad, kanti futhi ibuye ifanekiswe njengeCongo eyi-“Eldorado” – ubukhosi base-Afrika obabubusa endaweni ephucuzeke ngokuphelele nenothe ngendlela emangalisayo, ngaphambi kokuba itholwe ngabasingimazwe baMaputukezi ngekhuluminyaka leshumi-nanhlanu. Lokhu kufanekisa kanye nemifanekiso ehambisana nako evela emibhalweni eminingi engesiBhunu maqondana neCongo isetshenziswa ukuveza okubili okubonakala sengathi kuyefana yize kungafani kunoba ikuveze obala njengezinto ezingafani nhlobo. Imibhalo esezincwadini yangesikhathi sombuso wamakoloni (kuze kufinyelele esikhathini sangeminyaka ye-1960) iphawula kakhulu ngezindaba ezincike emasikweni nasemilandweni yamazwe aseYurophu nokuyilapho umoya wobukhosi obubusa ngaphezu kwamanye amakhosi/ nombuso wamakoloni uziveza njengokulindelekile ngezindlela ezimbili eziphikisanayo (ukubambelela endleleni yokwenza yasendulo kuqhathaniswa nempucuko), kanye nemifanekiso enjenge-“imperial eyes” (ukuzithathela kwabamhlophe umhlaba ezweni ababusa kulona okungelabanye abantu). Iphupho likaMalan lokuba kube nendawo eyenza ngokwemfundiso yamaDashi – okwakuncike ekuhlanganyeleni kwamaDashi/namaFlemishi eCongo kanye namaDashi/namaBhunu eNgingizimu Afrika – nokwakuzohamba kusuke eKapa kuze kufinyelele eCongo eyayaziwa ngokuthi yiBelgian Congo, kudala, ikhumbuzana uthando olukhulu lokwandisa indawo noma umnotho olwaluvela kumqondombono walabo abasekela umbuso wobukhosi bamazwe amaningi weCape-to-Cairo, kodwa-ke lokhu kwakuncike ekusondelaneni kolimi kanye nothando lobuzwe ebuzweni bamaBhunu. Emibhalweni yangemva kwesikhathi sombuso wamakoloni, ukuthathwa komuntu oyiBhunu elimhlophe njengoyisizukulwane saBafuduki (amaVoortrekker)/ saBafuduki base-Angola kuyaqhubeka nokuhlakazwa ngokudweba kabusha isithombe seBhunu emqondweni, liyi“sangoma esimhlophe” noma lingu“mfana omhlophe e-Afrika”, kodwa kube kugqama ukwesaba nokushawa ngunembeza – ngendlela ebhuqa kakhulu – njengegalelolifa elinganambitheki lomeseki wombuso wamakoloni oqavile u-“Papa in Afrika”. Umsebenzinhloso wezindaba eziphathelene nombuso wamakoloni uvezwa ngengowonakala wangaphumelela nhlobo ku-Equatoria, kanti uHorrelpoot yena uveza umbono wokuphela kobuBhunu kanye neSibhunu eNingizimu Afrika. Ubumhlophe bungagcina buphelile bese esikhundleni sako kungene imibala yoqobo ezothile esamvelo yomhlaba edabuka e-Afrika, kumbe buchazwe kabusha ngaphansi kwengqikithi engahambisani nokuphatha (The Poisonwood Bible). Sekobonakala phambili.
Afrikaans and Theory of Literature
D. Litt. et Phil. (Afrikaans)

A primary responsibility of domestic tour products is to provide safe and efficacious products of appropriate quality to consumers by assuring decisions are based on accurate, reliable, truthful, and complete data. This task in this chapter is solved on the basis of the authors’ works on Avatar-Based Intellectual Managing for Innovation Technologies Transfer in the tourism industry of the Republic of Armenia, where citizens of the Russian Federation travel with their internal passports, that is, they use it as an internal tour product. The chapter describes the entire algorithm of the system, shows the results of the study, which guarantee Data Integrity Management for Laboratory of the Control of Lifecycle of domestic Russian tour products.

For the tourism sector, circularity is a strategic approach, especially from the point of view of minimizing environmental impact, including waste, pollution, CO2 emissions, given the potential of a circular economy to decouple economic growth from resource use. Integrating circularity and further increasing resource efficiency in the tourism value chain represents an opportunity for the tourism sector to embrace a sustainable and resilient path. The extensive and transversal value chain of tourism offers many opportunities for a longer, better and more circular use of the materials and products used to provide the services, creating value and partnerships and bringing waste as close to zero as possible. Within the scope of this study, the description and analysis of the experiences of circularity will be presented, the updated synthesis of the transition situation to the principles of circularity and the presentation of some cases from Trebujeni - Pensiunea Vila Roz and from Chisinau - Radisson Blu Leogrand Hotel will be presented. Within the present paper, circularity isn’t a priority for the Moldovan service producer, but also for the tourist himself, because the tourist is the one who decides how to travel, what to do at the destination, how to use the infrastructures. But the manufacturer can influence the customer's behavior so that he behaves in a more circular way. On the other hand, the large number of service producers in the tourism industry (transportation, catering, accommodation, excursions, etc.) induces the need for cooperation between actors to create a global offer of circular tourism based on the principles of the circular economy. The main barrier in the application of the principles of circularity in tourism is the lack of awareness and the lack of interest of consumers in applying this concept in practice. This paper is written within the state project 20.80009.0807.22. Developing the mechanism for the circular economy creation in the Republic of Moldova.